TASHKENT (TCA) — China Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov on February 7 in Beijing. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the Afghan issue and the preparation work for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Qingdao Summit scheduled for this June, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported.
Kamilov said that Uzbekistan plans to hold an international conference on Afghanistan, “Peace process, cooperation in security sphere and regional collaboration,” to be held in Tashkent at the joint initiative of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
Wang Yi said that the Afghan issue cannot be settled without the active participation of countries in the region including Uzbekistan. The Chinese side understands and supports Uzbekistan’s constructive role in the process of political reconciliation and peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan. China welcomes Uzbekistan to hold an international conference on the Afghan issue in Tashkent. The Tashkent conference, together with other cooperation mechanisms involving Afghanistan especially the SCO, should promote the functions of each other and form synergy, the Chinese minister said.
The two sides also exchanged views on the SCO Qingdao Summit to be held in June. Both sides agreed that the summit should summarize and carry forward the “Shanghai Spirit” and beef up the solidarity and mutual trust between the member states, so as to promote the SCO to achieve greater development at the new starting point.
Kamilov said that Uzbekistan and China enjoy a profound traditional friendship and a solid foundation of mutual trust, adding that Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev highly values the trust and friendship between Chinese President Xi Jinping and him. The Uzbek version of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China” has been published. Uzbekistan is willing to strengthen the exchanges of experience in state governance and administration with China and join hands with China to build the Belt and Road, the Uzbek foreign minister said.
